Soldier Killed By Mine is Named

The soldier killed by a roadside mine in southern Afghanistan on Sunday was named yesterday as Corporal Darryl Gardiner, 25, from Wiltshire, a member of the British brigade's reconnaissance force based in Lashkar Gar in Helmand province.

Gardiner, the 87th British military victim to have died in Afghanistan since 2001, was in a Pinzgauer armored vehicle when he and five other soldiers, who suffered serious leg injuries, were hit.

They were struck by the mine near the town of Musa Qala, recently recaptured from the Taliban.

Major Tony Phillips, commander of the reconnaissance force, described Gardiner, of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, as an "exceptional" man who had proved himself under fire on a number of occasions. "He epitomized the cool, calm and courageous modern soldier," Maj Phillips said.

Gardiner was part of a small patrol that successfully foiled a car-borne suicide bomber in Gereshk in Helmand province in October last year.

The driver of the rear vehicle of the patrol, Gardiner said at the time: "A white Toyota attempted to drive into the vehicle in front, clipped it and headed towards us. A shot rang out from the front vehicle, and then [Corporal Bayliss] on my top cover fired and we, the remainder, immediately did the same. A second later the vehicle blew up, a massive explosion. It was all over very quickly, in a few seconds."

Gardiner was a keen skydiver and had a girlfriend, Lucy, the Ministry of defense said. In a statement his family said they were "deeply proud that Darryl served his country".

More than 760 foreign soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since 2001. Last year was the most violent as the resurgent Taliban's attacks spread to relatively peaceful parts of the country and more suicide bombs hit cities.

According to estimates by the Associated Press based on official figures, more than 6,500 people died in violent incidents in 2007.